The Section II boys' basketball playoffs begin Tuesday. Here are reporter James Allen's top picks. Allen selected three of the five boys' champions in 2012-13.

Class AA

Favorites: B1 CCHS, S1 Shenendehowa, B2 Green Tech, S2 Guilderland

Contender: B3 CBA

Dark horse: B4 Schenectady. The Patriots have delivered some quality performances, including victories over Christian Brothers Academy and Columbia. Eighth-grader Tobias Holmes is a star in the making, but this is his first journey into the postseason. If Schenectady plays to its capabilities defensively in the 3-2 zone, this team is capable of doing damage.

My selection: Catholic Central. I can make a compelling case for five teams winning this tournament with Shenendehowa, Green Tech, Guilderland and CBA being the others. The Crusaders' lack of depth concerns me because foul trouble has been an issue in games against Troy and CBA. CCHS has played, and won, at Times Union Center this season. If the Crusaders did prevail, it would culminate one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Section II history.

Class A

Favorites: No. 1 Scotia, No. 2 Troy

Contender: No. 3 Gloversville

Dark horse: No. 5 Amsterdam. The Rams have been wildly inconsistent this season. They lost 70-59 against Mekeel Christian Academy and beat Troy 77-76 in overtime. Kory Bergh can shoot (50 3-pointers) and the team depends on his perimeter prowess. If Amsterdam plays its best, it can beat No. 4 seed Averill Park in the quarterfinals Sunday.

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My selection: Troy. This is an incredibly difficult choice picking between Scotia and Troy — two Section II champions from 2013. The Tartans are the better team offensively and Troy does not have anyone to slow down Joe Cremo, but the Flying Horses handed Catholic Central its lone loss and coach Rich Hurley also seems to have the team playing exceptional defense in the postseason. It is going to take a stellar defensive outing to defeat Scotia.

Class B

Favorites: No. 1 Voorheesville, No. 2 Hoosick Falls, No. 3 Cohoes

Contenders: No. 4 Mekeel Christian Academy, No. 5 Mechanicville

Dark horse: No. 6 Broadalbin-Perth. The Patriots have won 10 of 11 outings since Jan. 3, including a win over Gloversville (No. 3 seed in Class A). Andre Taylor and Ryan Dingman are both capable scorers. This team has the capability of reaching the final.

My selection: Voorheesville. There are many teams in this field with the ability to win the championship, but the Blackbirds have two factors in their favor: senior leadership hungry to go out on top, and scoring versatility. Noah Crawford, Logan Hotaling and Dylan Hensel all can score 20 points any night, and center Joe Vogel is a two-way force.

Class C

Favorites: No. 1 Hoosic Valley, No. 2 Lake George

Contenders: No. 3 Saratoga Catholic, No. 4 Greenwich

Dark horse: No. 6 Rensselaer. The Rams ended the regular season with a flourish — winning eight of nine Patroon Conference contests (with the lone loss a 57-56 setback against league co-champion Catskill). They open with a difficult contest against Berne-Knox-Westerlo on Wednesday.

My selection: Hoosic Valley. The Indians (15-3) dropped two contests against Wasaren League champion Hoosick Falls by scores of 43-42 and 49-47. They garnered the No. 1 seed for the second straight year and look to avenge a 51-48 loss to Lake George in the 2013 final. The Warriors went on to capture the state title. Hoosic Valley and Lake George meet again for the title and the Indians emerge with the championship.

Class D

Favorite: No. 1 Argyle

Contenders: No. 2 Germantown, No. 3 Hartford

Dark horse: No. 6 Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville. The Wolfpack can shoot the 3-pointer (112, tied for ninth in Section II), led by Dylan Klock and Johnny Viccarelli. They open with No. 11 Fort Edward for a shot at No. 3 Hartford on Saturday at Stillwater.

My selection: Argyle. The Scots (15-3), ranked No. 2 in the state, lost to Hoosick Falls to open the season and dropped two tight decisions to Lake George. Against Class D competition, Argyle has been dominant and it should once again navigate through sectionals.